US: President Barack Obama has reluctantly been dragged back into conflict in Iraq and is eager for allies in the fight against Isil. The US announced today it had formed a 10-nation "core coalition" though it was unclear what specific commitments the allies had made. John Kerry will travel to the Middle East to enlist Arab countries in the effort. The US has carried out more than 100 strikes against Isil and has more than 1,000 troops on the ground advising Iraqi forces and its diplomats. Mr Obama is considering extending US strikes into Syria, where Isil has its core territory.

Britain: David Cameron is open to joining US strikes against Isil and has ordered government whips to begin gauging support in Parliament. However, no decision has been taken and a vote is not expected imminently. Britain is less emphatic than the US that the "core coalition" is in place and believes more diplomatic work needs to be done. The RAF is already involved in intelligence and humanitarian flights and is delivering arms from other countries to the Kurds. Mr Cameron is considering sending British weapons to the Kurds. Public support for action has hardened since the release of a video showing a Englist-accented jihadist threatening to murder a British hostage.

Related Articles

France: Francois Hollande is eager for France to join action against Isil, partly to lift dire approval ratings which show he's the least popular leader since the Second World War. The socialist Mr Hollande is a hawk on foreign affairs, ordering French troops into battle against Islamists in Mali and supporting strikes against the Syrian government last year. France is now prepared to join airstrikes against Isil and could launch jets from its base in Corsica using mid-air refueling or off the Charles de Gaulle, its aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. An estimated 700 French citizens have joined the fighting in Syria, more than any other European country.

Australia: Tony Abbott has been strident in his calls for the West to confront Isil, calling the group "pure evil" and saying the execution of hostage "abundantly justifies" Australian military intervention. Australia has said F-18 Superhornets could be used to bomb Isil targets or escort other allied aircraft. Like Francois Hollande, Mr Abbott is struggling domestically and is eager to pivot to foreign policy as a way of projecting strength. Australian aircraft based in the United Arab Emirates have already begun flying aid missions and delivering cargo loads of weapons to the Kurds.

Germany: Germany is less enthusiastic about conflict with Isil than other European allies. At a dinner with other Nato leaders in Wales, Angela Merkel spoke at length on Afghanistan while the others wanted to discuss Isil. The German public is more focused on the crisis in Ukraine, where economic sanctions are already hurting the German economy, than the Middle East. Germany is very unlikely to join airstrikes. Unlike Britain and the US, Germany has never suffered a major jihadist attack on its soil. However, Mrs Merkel is delivering 16,000 assault rifles and heavy anti-tank weapons to Kurdish forces in a break from Germany's tradition of non-intervention.

Others: Iran, which is Shia, is focused on defeating the Sunni jihadist movement and Iran's supreme leader has taken the unusual step of ordering the Iranian military to coordinate with US forces in Iraq. Turkey, which shares a long border with both Iraq and Syria, has committed to intercepting foreign fighters en route to the conflict. The US is hoping Saudi Arabia will provide financing for the effort and the arming of anti-Isil rebels inside Syria. Jordan may be asked to provide intelligence support about the inner workings of Isil and help establish targets for Western bombing.